A common problem experienced by people visiting the dentist is the discomfort and pain associated with the taking of dental x-rays caused by the positioning of intraoral radiographic film packets in the patient's mouth. The typical intraoral radiographic film packet includes relatively hard and/or relatively sharp edges that press against and irritate the gums and other oral soft tissue of the person whose teeth are being x-rayed. A variety of intraoral x-ray dental packets are known in the prior art which include features intended to be comfort enhancing. In addition, attempts have been made to create comfort-enhancing structures into which intraoral x-ray dental packets can be inserted prior to placement in the patient's mouth. One example of this type of structure is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,044,008 titled "Dental Film Cartridge Cushion," by Reginald B. Jackson, Aug. 27, 1991. Jackson utilizes a cartridge cushion comprising a foam sheet sandwich into which the x-ray dental packet is placed for the purpose of cushioning and increasing the comfort to the patient. Jackson requires the manual insertion of the x-ray packet into the cartridge cushion. Thus, Jackson adds significant bulk to the packet and enhances the possibility of triggering a gag reflex action in the patient. Additionally, after the cartridge cushion is removed from the packet, it would be possible to reuse the cartridge cushion. Reuse without sterilization would not be sanitary and there is no practical way of sterilizing Jackson's cartridge due its resilient foam and paper substrate construction. It is likely that any attempt to sterilize by autoclave or by chemical wash would result in the destruction of the resilient foam and paper substrate cartridge.
A second example of an add-on structure is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,285,491 titled "Dental Film Packet," by Wilfried Muylle et al., Feb. 8, 1994. Muylle et al. teaches sealing a film pack in an envelope consisting of a pair of thin pockets of injection molded plastic which are sealed with a band of adhesive tape. The envelope has no sharp edges and generally rounded corners. Thus, as with Jackson's device, this device requires manual insertion of the packet, adds significant bulk to the packet, enhances the possibility of triggering a gag reflex in the patient, and can also be reused in a non-sanitary manner.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,631,497 titled "Dental X-ray Film Package," by Harry L. Marler, Jun. 7, 1927. Marler teaches a dental x-ray film package wherein a sensitized sheet is sandwiched between two opaque sheets. A heavy band of rubber is stretched about the periphery of the package to hold the package securely together and to provide the light tight joint.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,537,925 titled "Dental X-ray Film Package," by Leonard M. Bolin, May 12, 1925, teaches a dental x-ray film package wherein a pair of film sheets and the cover sheet are inserted into the container. The container consists of a frame including a backing portion in an enlarged continuous beading about the periphery thereof. The beading must be forced away from the backing portion and stretched peripherally in order to insert the film sheets and cover sheet therein. The container thus serves to hold the package together and provide the light seal.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,791,657 titled "Intraoral Radiographic Film Packet," by Alan Kirsch et al., Dec. 13, 1988, teaches a dental radiographic film packet which includes soft comers for greater patient comfort. The packet is constructed by removing all material from the corners of a typical dental radiographic film packet with the exception of the film chip. Individual corner covers which are seamless pockets are then added to the four comers of the packet. The corner covers create an airspace at each comer around the edge of the film chip.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,084,092 titled "Dental Film Holder," by Ralph Kenney, Jun. 15, 1937 teaches a dental film holder that is a stretchable vellum rubber plate with integral corner pockets into which an x-ray dental packet may be manually inserted. Kenney's dental film holder is intended to be reusable.
From the foregoing it can be seen that many attempts to add a comfort enhancing feature to dental x-ray film packets resulted in structures requiring modification of individual film packets in order to receive a comfort enhancing structure. Further, such prior art attempts, particularly those seeking to provide the comfort enhancing feature via a frame, have resulted in a significant increase in bulk thereby enhancing the possibility of inducing a gag reflex.